Who to See at the 2015 New York Comedy Festival

The New York Comedy Festival has been a staple of the city for years now. This year, hosts Judd Apatow and Sarah Silverman will usher the festival into it’s 12th annual year—with over 200 recognized and emerging comedians—for five nights in November. This year, you’ll have the opportunity to catch Margaret Cho, Judd Apatow, Bill Maher, and more. Check out who we think will be the best acts to catch at this year’s New York Comedy Festival, the full line-up, and more.

The New York Comedy Festival hasn’t announced their full lineup yet, but so far, we see that there are three newcomers to the famed laugh fest. John Leguizamo, with a career spanning 30 years, will be joining the festival with a conversation hosted by the 92nd Street Y to discuss the upcoming release of his graphic novel, Ghetto Klown.Iliza Shlesinger, the youngest and only female to ever win NBC’s Last Comic Standing, is currently on her “Freezing Hot Tour”, and will be making a stopover at NYU’s Skirball Center during the NYCF. Nathan Fielder, who hosts, directs, and stars in his own TV show with Comedy Central, will also be making a stop at Skirball to preview the upcoming season of Nathan for You.

Out of the comedians returning to the New York Comedy Festival for their second—in some cases third—year, we think a must-see stand-up woman is the lovely, all around talented Margaret Cho, who is currently on “The (There’s no I in Team But There’s a Cho in) Psyho Tour”. You’ve probably seen Cho on TV either as Kim Jong Il on 30 Rock, or as a star on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Divas. Known for her “nothing is taboo” comedic delivery, we hope that Cho will let loose at her NYCF performance. When it comes to down to deciding if you’re going to see Bill Maher at MSG’s Theater or Bill Burr on the MSG main stage, we think it comes down to what you want to hear. Both comedians are undeniably talented, and are known to push buttons in a variety of ways. Burr certainly has the more entertaining delivery. With a “say exactly the first thing that comes to mind” policy, his comedy is fresh, passionate, and always a surprise. Maher has a more stoic comedy style, allowing his politics and well-cultivated worldview to speak for itself. Either way, clear your schedules for Thursday night of the New York Comedy Festival, because Gabriel Iglesias will be hosting “Comedians of Stand-Up Revolution”, along with providing the opening and closing set.

Leave it to Judd Apatow to completely blow off how incredible it is to land a slot—as a comedian—at New York’s Carnegie Hall. “Performing at Carnegie Hall is a dream come true,” Apatow said in a statement. “Not for me but for some foreign twelve-year-old violinist. But I am sure it will be great!” And really, for Apatow fans, stand-up fans, or fans of laughter in general, it’s going to be great. And just off the wave of buzz that followed the release of Trainwreck, we’re excited to see Apatow take his stage time to reflect and remark on his fame. We’re not sure who the “friends” are that will be joining Apatow on stage, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see either Schumer, writer/actress Lena Dunham, or perhaps Apatow’s favorite female collaborator, Kristin Wiig. Either way, we can’t wait to see some foreign twelve-year-old violinist’s dream come true at the NYCF.

Similarly, two-time Emmy award winner Sarah Silverman will be hosting her own night “with friends” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Silverman, much like Apatow, is incredibly versatile when it comes to everything she can do, with a career ranging from film, TV, stand-up, and even authorship. At this point, Silverman’s career can speak for itself, so we won’t bother with the recap of how many wonderfully funny things this woman has written. But, we will go on to say that she was, and maintains her title as “the most outrageously funny woman alive” by Rolling Stone. Care to disagree? Just try seeing her perform live instead.

Before Patton Oswalt was a successful comedian with tons of Twitter followers, he was just really obsessed with movies. And now, out with his book Silver Screen Fiend, Oswalt is making an appearance at the 92nd Street Y to talk about the compulsive movie-watching that shaped the course of his life and his approach to comedy. We think this talk will inevitably be hilarious, as Oswalt’s personality is one of unabashed humor. But it’s a must-see if you’re a reader, movie-lover, or into the literary arts in general. It looks like the New York Comedy Festival has just about everything to offer.

If you don’t know who Trevor Noah is, it’s about time to get used to seeing and hearing the enigmatic and controversial man replacing Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. Prior to beginning his tenure with Comedy Central, Noah became one of the leading comedians/host personalities in South Africa, garnering immediate attention once he came to the states for his provocative stances on race. The New York Comedy Festival takes place just a few weeks after Noah kicks off the next era of bombastic and satirical news, but we think he can handle the pressure of delivering both on screen and on stage at Town Hall.

Norm MacDonald’s 4 Night Residency at Caroline’s

Norm MacDonald will be hosting four nights and six shows at Caroline’s on Broadway, one of the most well known comedy clubs in New York. Norm MacDonald is most well known for his five seasons as a cast member on SNL, along with being a favorite guest star on Conan, Howard Stern, and Letterman. The Canadian comedian hasn’t had very many performances over the past few years, but this doesn’t mean he hasn’t been writing. And we think the 2015 New York Comedy Festival is the perfect opportunity for this comedian to try out any new material he’s been saving over the years.

The 2015 New York Comedy Festival has revealed most of their line-up, but there will be more shows and panels TBA in the weeks leading up to the festival!

Tickets

If you’re going to buy tickets to the 12th Annual New York Comedy Festival, then you will be purchasing tickets for single events only. And if you consider yourself a lover of stand-up comedy, then the Festival will likely force you to make some tough decisions. Because the New York Comedy Festival has an expansive net over New York City, there will be several performances taking place on the same night, spreading out the crowds from the Lower East Side all the way into Carnegie Hall. On Saturday, November 14th, Judd Apatow (and friends) will be performing a rare stand-up show at Carnegie, while new Daily Show host Trevor Noah will perform at Town Hall, while Maher will host an evening at the Theater at MSG, and Bill Burr will headline MSG itself. Pretty crazy, right? That’s why you should decide who in the 2015 New York Comedy Festival you’re going to see soon, so that you’re prepared to buy tickets once they go on sale.

Tickets for individual 2015 NYCF performances will go on sale August 17th at 10 A.M EST. Citi Card members enjoy a pre-sale that begins today, and lasts through August 16th.

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